Solar Tracking System

[quium]

Hi
I am doing a project on solar tracker I have done a bit of search and not not in a postion to go with it. I will be grateful if some one can provide me with information circuit diagram or block diagram codes.
Brief overview
Solar tracker should trace the sun so that it keeps the solar pannel always faced towards the sun there by maximizing the power that can be drawn from the pannel

 

[ionp]

Here is one tracking technique I have always liked.
This example is 2D, but can be extended to 3D easily.

Picture 2 light sensors, a fraction of an inch apart on a flat panel, left and right, and with a playing card separating them.
Lets assume you have motors that can cause the face of the panel to point more to the left or to the right.
If a light source is directly in line with the playing card, equal light shines on both sensors.
If the shadow from the card starts to cover the left sensor, increase drive to the right pointing motor.
If the shadow from the card begins to cover the right sensor, increse drive to the left pointing motor.

For 3D tracking, implement the same for up and down directions.

Turn off all motors when both sensors show dark.

 

[Gladis]

Hi, I hav already posted comment in your other post about Solar tracking
Thanks

 

[rragupathiraja]

sir, i cant able to picturise the arangement,, can you please post a schematic..

thanks

 

[luben111]

See attached PDF for the construction. This is a 3D PDF so if you have latest Acrobat Reader (8 and later) you'll be able to zoom (by scrolling the mouse wheel) or rotate (by pressing left button and move mouse simultaneously) the image.

 

[luben111]

Some JPG image of the construction

 

[rragupathiraja]

thank you very much for your time . whether we need this set up for all panels mounted in a array. ( if 4 to 8 panels are required for the application mounted on one mounting). what kind of the technique is used in other tracking systems used commercially? what may be the cost of the attached design?

---------- Post added at 11:54 ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 ----------

Mr Luben,

i am not able to see the images..

 

[luben111]

Attached are the JPG images

The minimum price of this module will be around 3$, if you pay more attention for protection and to make it robust in all weather conditions it could grow significantly. I would recomment to use photo diodes - they don't saturate and can work in extreme range of light intensity.

 

[kabiru]

Hi,i think it will be easy for you to use photo diode and op-amp for tracking the sun rays,photo diode are placed in a narrow bobbin of a sewing tread, by focusing the sun you have low resistance and when the direction of the sun changes the rays drift from the focused photo sensors placed inside the bobbin, there will be change in resistance this changes can be monitored using the op-amp to control the direction of your motor with the help of some swiching circute.

 

[jami007]

here is a working solar tracker, you can use it for dual axis trackers

https://www.edaboard.com/threads/239792/

 

[tpetar]

Hi
I am doing a project on solar tracker I have done a bit of search and not not in a postion to go with it. I will be grateful if some one can provide me with information circuit diagram or block diagram codes.
Brief overview
Solar tracker should trace the sun so that it keeps the solar pannel always faced towards the sun there by maximizing the power that can be drawn from the pannel

My friend, there is several things about solar panels in this contents of story. Solar tracking is one, and second is insolation according to place of panels.

Solar tracking is when you whant to get more sunshine time per day - cover more sunshine area in day.

House is on place where house is, You can move house to other place, its one data. That means we must see where we can put panels, and where is sun over day - movement of sun over day. We should at first see what is best position and angle for panels, that can be done with several paralel loggers/monitor of solar panels.

See this project :

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**


Solar Tracking with 89C2051 and NE555
**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**



microSD ATmega32 Data-Logger

http://www.dharmanitech.com/search/label/ATmega32

Just use adequate voltage divider for your panel voltage.

 

[rohitkhanna]

ionp's explanation is simple & hence brilliant. Just to add to that, you should also angle your panels so that they are the same number of degrees from vertical as the Latitude you are located. Of course the left-right orientation is (of course) EAST-WEST.